Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Last verified 2026-07-18 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 6718 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107
- Phone
- (505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978)
- Office hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. The Village does not accept online submittals for Planning & Zoning applications; two (2) complete sets of plans plus the filled-out application form must be dropped off in person at Village Hall, or in the after-hours drop-off box outside the main doors (the Village disclaims responsibility for documents left there). Effective September 1, 2025, all permit fees are collected at the time of a complete application's submittal rather than at issuance, per the Village's own 'Notice of Changes to Permitting Process' (Aug. 11, 2025).
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
New Mexico sets construction codes statewide by rule, not through home-rule discretion. Under the Construction Industries Licensing Act (NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-1 et seq.), the state's Construction Industries Commission and Division (CID, within the Regulation & Licensing Department) adopt the technical construction codes codified at New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) Title 14 — including the state's own Building, Residential, Existing Building, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing, Solar Energy, and Swimming Pool codes, and the National Electrical Code (14.10.4 NMAC currently adopts the 2020 NEC; the CID Commission periodically updates individual code chapters, so confirm the current edition with the applicable authority). Per NMSA 1978 § 60-13-44(E), these state codes "constitute a minimum requirement" binding every political subdivision in New Mexico — no city or county may adopt anything less stringent, though a jurisdiction may adopt stricter local amendments. Enforcement authority runs through whichever entity is the project's Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ, defined at NMAC 14.5.1.7.B): under NMSA 1978 § 60-13-41(D)-(F), a municipality or county that employs its own full-time certified building official may self-administer permitting, plan review, and inspection locally (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Farmington, and Roswell all operate this way); jurisdictions without a certified building official default to direct enforcement by a CID field office (e.g., Hobbs, Alamogordo). Some jurisdictions run a hybrid — locally certified for some trades while CID directly enforces others (Roswell's electrical permitting, for example, reverted to direct CID administration as of January 1, 2026). Always confirm with the specific jurisdiction whether it or the state CID is the acting AHJ for a given trade before submitting plans.
- GOVERNANCE MODEL — verified verbatim from the Village's own codified ordinances (Chapter 9, Article 4, § 9.4.2(L), hosted by American Legal Publishing at codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm): 'BUILDING PERMIT shall mean a permit issued by the Village or its designee for construction on an MRGCD Tract pursuant to the applicable ordinances in effect at the time a zone review and a Building Permit are applied for. Bernalillo County is currently the designee for the Village for the purpose of issuing Building Permits.' This definition sits within Article 4 (Middle Rio Grande Conservation District Tracts) and is drafted specifically for construction on MRGCD Tracts — a land classification that covers a substantial share of Los Ranchos parcels (nearly every Village permit application form in this file has a dedicated 'MRGCD Map No.' field). The Village's own Forms page and Planning & Zoning intake process (email Michelle Austin with the property address, added square footage, and proposed use; 'there are two different types of residential building permits') indicate the Village itself is the front door and pre-consultation point for a Building Permit application, while Bernalillo County's Planning & Development Services Building Section (415 Silver SW / 111 Union Square SE, Albuquerque, (505) 314-0350) is the named designee for issuance on MRGCD Tracts. This is a third, distinct governance pattern in this corpus alongside full local self-administration (Rio Rancho) and deferral of only MEP trades to a neighbor (Corrales, to Rio Rancho) — Los Ranchos defers actual structural Building Permit issuance itself, at least for MRGCD Tract construction, to the County. By contrast, the Village directly and locally administers its own 'Zone Review Permits' (ZRP) for fence/wall, pool/spa, re-roof, solar panel, and demolition work — these are processed entirely at Village Hall with Village-printed fees and never routed to the County. Sources: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm/latest/losranchos_nm (Chapter 9, Articles 3-5); losranchosnm.gov/forms/.
- Pursuant to § 3-17-6 NMSA 1978 (2007) and the Village's own codified ordinances (Chapter 9, Article 5, § 9.5.1 'Code Adopted By Reference'), the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque has directly adopted, verbatim: (A) Building Codes in General — 2015 New Mexico Commercial Building Code (14.7.2 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Residential Building Code (14.7.3 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Construction Code Phase III (14.7.4 NMAC), 2009 New Mexico Non-Load Bearing Baled Straw Construction Building Code Phase III (14.7.5 NMAC), 2009 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code (14.7.6 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Existing Building Code (14.7.7 NMAC), 2015 New Mexico Historic Earthen Buildings (14.7.8 NMAC); (B) Plumbing Codes — 2015 New Mexico Plumbing Code (14.8.2 NMAC), 2012 New Mexico Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code (14.8.3 NMAC); (C) Mechanical Codes — 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code (14.9.2 NMAC), Boilers (14.9.4 NMAC), Medical Gas Installation and Certification (14.9.5 NMAC), 2012 New Mexico Solar Energy Code (14.9.6 NMAC); (D) Electrical Codes — 2017 New Mexico Electrical Code (14.10.4 NMAC), 2012 New Mexico Electrical Safety Code (14.10.5 NMAC); (E) Miscellaneous — errata sheets to the adopted uniform/international codes, AND 'the Bernalillo County amendments to the International and New Mexico Codes known as the Uniform Construction Codes of Bernalillo County.' Because Bernalillo County is the named designee for actual Building Permit issuance (see governance note above), a project may in practice also be measured against Bernalillo County's own Chapter 10 Building Ordinance (Uniform Construction Codes of Bernalillo County) — the county's ordinance on file with this session (Ordinance 2011-12, repealing 2009-5) lists 2009-edition International Codes, but Bernalillo County's own Ordinances & Codes page indicates that ordinance chapter has since been further amended (most recently by County Ordinance No. 2024-18, effective 8-13-2024) — this session did not chase the full current text of the 2024-18 amendment, so the county's current code editions are not independently confirmed here and should not be assumed identical to the 2009 baseline. Sources: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm (§ 9.5.1); bernco.gov/planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/58/2021/04/BuildingOrd.pdf; bernco.gov/planning/ordinances-codes/.
- Village Code of Ordinances, Chapter 9, Article 2 (Zoning and Zone Map) governs zone-specific setbacks, height, and use requirements; Article 3 (Permits for the Sale, Construction and Remodeling of Property) requires a separate $35.00 realtor Parcel Permit for each property sold in the Village (not a construction permit, and out of scope for this file) and an annual business license for any contractor/developer performing work in the Village. Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/losranchosnm.
Permit types & fees
Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, or Alteration)
Required for new single-family residence construction, additions, and structural alterations in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. The Village's Planning & Zoning Department is the intake and pre-consultation point (no fillable form is published online for this permit type — applicants must email or visit Village Hall), while Bernalillo County's Planning & Development Services Building Section is the Village's designated authority for actually issuing Building Permits, at minimum for construction on MRGCD Tracts, per the Village's own codified ordinance § 9.4.2(L).
Fence/Wall Permit (Zone Review Permit)
Required for fence and wall construction in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed entirely by the Village's own Planning & Zoning Department as a Zone Review Permit (ZRP) — not routed to Bernalillo County.
Pool/Spa Zone Review Permit
Required for swimming pool and spa construction in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed as a Village Zone Review Permit (ZRP). The fee is calculated from the applicant's signed construction contract rather than being a fixed, published dollar amount.
Re-Roof Zone Review Permit
Required for re-roofing work in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed as a Village Zone Review Permit (ZRP) with a flat printed fee.
Solar Panel Zone Review Permit
Required for solar panel installations in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed as a Village Zone Review Permit (ZRP). The application will not be issued without a signed installation contract on file, and no fixed dollar fee is printed on the form.
Demolition Permit
Required before removing any building or structure in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed as a Village Zone Review Permit with a square-footage-based fee formula printed on the form.
EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit
The Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque does not run its own electrical permitting program -- as with Building Permits on MRGCD Tracts (per Village ordinance Sec. 9.4.2(L)), electrical work is permitted and inspected by Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Building Services Division, under the 2020 National Electrical Code and 2020 NM State Electrical Code. Bernalillo County's Electrical page lists dedicated required-inspection types for Solar System and Generator/Alternative Back-up System installations, but has no equivalent dedicated 'EV Charger' or 'EVSE' inspection type or fee line -- a Level 2 home EV charger circuit is inspected under the County's general Rough In and Final electrical inspection categories, with the permit fee charged per Bernalillo County's own Administrative Resolution 25-2009 itemized electrical fee schedule (Table 3-B) -- a per-component charge, not a valuation-based one, and not a single flat dollar figure for 'EV charger' specifically.
Sign Permit
Required before installing, erecting, or hanging any sign in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed entirely by the Village's own Planning & Zoning Department as a Zone Review Permit (ZRP) -- not routed to Bernalillo County. Governed by Village Code Sec. 9.2.22 (Signs) and Sec. 9.2.20 (Dark Skies), with fees set by the Village's own Resolution No. 2008-5-1. Two current Village-published application forms exist online -- a general 'Application for Sign Permit' (2025 revision) and an older 'Sign Permit Application' oriented toward businesses -- both citing the same 2008 fee resolution.
Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit
The Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque's own codified Fire Code (Village Code Ch. 5, Art. 1, adopting the International Fire Code, 2003 Edition, as locally amended) requires fire alarm and fire sprinkler system plans to be 'submitted to the fire department for review and approval' bearing a minimum NICET Level III review certification (Sec. 5.1.2(J)). The Village's own official 'Find Services' page and its own Application for Commercial Business License (Appendix D) both independently confirm, verbatim: 'The Village of Los Ranchos has an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Bernalillo County to provide all fire protection for the Village.' Accordingly, fire sprinkler and fire alarm plan review, permitting, and inspection for Los Ranchos properties is conducted by the Bernalillo County Fire Marshal's Office (Fire Prevention Bureau) under the county's own currently-adopted 2015 International Fire Code (with local amendments effective March 24, 2020) -- not by a standalone Village fire department -- mirroring the Building Permit / electrical-permit designee pattern already documented elsewhere in this file for Bernalillo County's relationship with the Village.
Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy
The Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque does not publish a standalone 'Change of Use' or 'Certificate of Occupancy' permit application separate from its general Building Permit process -- the Village's own Forms page, listing over 40 distinct permit and license applications, contains no such product (checked in full this session). The closest Village-administered product is the Zoning Certification Application ($25.00 fee), which verifies a property's CURRENT zoning/use status rather than authorizing a change of use or issuing a certificate of occupancy. Because Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services Building Section is the Village's designated authority for issuing Building Permits (Village Code Sec. 9.4.2(L), already documented in this file's Building Permit entry), and because the Village has directly adopted the 2015 New Mexico Existing Building Code (14.7.7 NMAC) by ordinance (Sec. 9.5.1), a change in occupancy classification or use that triggers Existing Building Code compliance for a Los Ranchos property would be processed through Bernalillo County's general Building Permit application (as an alteration/change-of-occupancy scope), with a Certificate of Occupancy issued by Bernalillo County upon a successful final inspection. Bernalillo County's own published Building Permit Information page (checked in full this session) likewise lists no separate, dedicated Change-of-Use or Certificate-of-Occupancy application distinct from its general Building Permit Application.
Tips & gotchas
- Los Ranchos de Albuquerque has a genuinely split governance model, verified verbatim from the Village's own codified ordinance (§ 9.4.2(L)): the Village's Planning & Zoning Department directly and locally administers small-scope 'Zone Review Permits' (fence/wall, pool/spa, re-roof, solar panel, demolition) with fees printed right on each application form, while Bernalillo County's Planning & Development Services Building Section is the Village's named DESIGNEE for issuing the general Building Permit for new construction/additions — at minimum for the many Los Ranchos parcels that are Middle Rio Grande Conservation District (MRGCD) Tracts. This is a third distinct pattern in this corpus, different from full self-administration (Rio Rancho) or deferring only MEP trades to a neighboring municipality (Corrales, to Rio Rancho).
- For a general Building Permit, do not look for a downloadable application form online — the Village's own Forms page marks 'Building Permits' with an asterisk meaning no form is posted, and instructs applicants to email Michelle Austin (maustin@losranchosnm.gov) with the property address, added square footage, and proposed use first, since 'there are two different types of residential building permits' and Village staff use that information to route you correctly.
- The Village does not accept online submittals for ANY Planning & Zoning application as of this session — two complete physical plan sets plus the application form must be dropped off in person at Village Hall (6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW) or in the after-hours drop box, at the applicant's own risk.
- Effective September 1, 2025, the Village collects all permit fees at the time of a complete application's submittal, not at issuance — a change from its prior process, per the Village's own 'Notice of Changes to Permitting Process' (Aug. 11, 2025).
- Of the five Village-administered Zone Review Permits in this file, three carry a fixed, printed dollar fee (Fence/Wall $40, Re-Roof $100, Demolition $47/1,500 sq ft + $10/additional 500 sq ft), while two (Pool/Spa and Solar Panel) leave the fee blank on the form and calculate it from the applicant's signed construction/installation contract at submittal — budget accordingly and have that contract ready.
- No numeric review-timeline SLA is published anywhere on the Village's own site for ANY permit type in this file. For the general Building Permit specifically, Bernalillo County (the Village's designee for issuance) publishes a stated internal GOAL of completing review within 10 working days in its own Building Guide — this was checked and cited per this project's chase order requiring both the jurisdiction's own site and the county's own publications to be checked before settling on null, but it is explicitly a goal, not a guaranteed or legally binding deadline, and is not confirmed as Los-Ranchos-specific.
- The Village directly adopts 2015-edition New Mexico Commercial/Residential Building Codes by its own ordinance (§ 9.5.1) under municipal home-rule authority (§ 3-17-6 NMSA 1978), separate from NMAC 14.5.2's CID-administered permitting track — but because Bernalillo County is the designee for actual Building Permit issuance, a project may also be measured against the County's own, separately amended Chapter 10 Building Ordinance (most recently amended by County Ordinance No. 2024-18, per the County's own Ordinances & Codes page) — this session did not confirm the County ordinance's current code editions and did not assume they match the Village's 2015 baseline.
- No village-published wind-speed, snow-load, seismic, or frost-depth design-criteria table was found on the Village's own site — genuinely chased (Forms page, Planning & Zoning page, every individual permit PDF) and confirmed absent, not merely unresearched.
- amlegal.com's hosting of the Village's Code of Ordinances is a JavaScript single-page application that returns HTTP 403 to a plain browser-header fetch and renders no server-side text — the ordinance text cited throughout this file was retrieved via a live rendered browser session (not a third-party mirror), reading the Village's own codified ordinance directly.